Stockholm Syndrome
by starshards
Summary: Betrayed by those he held dear, Kai Hiwatari is caged, unable to stretch his crimson wings, they won't let him fly anymore. He can only thank God that he has Rei by his side to help him dream. One shot. Yaoi KR


The crappified version; all thanks to effeffdotnet My, aren't they making lots of friends?

* * *

Life has a nasty habit of turning things around, twisting and turning a haze of blissful contentment into a never-ending pit of blackness that swallowed you whole and refused to let you out. It was a lesson that an unwilling Kai Hiwatari had learned all too well. 

He couldn't remember the specific moment when everything had changed, he could just remember waking up in a hospital, before they had come to take him away. Anything other then that he couldn't recall, he just knew that around two years ago, his life, which he had believed couldn't possibly get any better had been snatched away from him. In its place he had been given a regime, something that left him feeling empty and used.

"Redundant." He whispered unaware that the words had left the safety of his mind. His thoughts grew darker once again. He now knew the very reason why those who were suppressed were so desperate for freedom. He craved the simple pleasure of being able to leave on his own, to be able to do as he wanted before they pinned him down and mostly he wanted to be able to speak his mind without those _looks_.

He was sinking deeper into the inky blackness of another bout of depression when a small, yet magical voice broke through like the sun through storm clouds. A voice that held an unknown power over him, causing him to automatically look up, as if by some unvoiced command.

"Sorry?" He asked simply. His shortness, perceived as rude by most, was simply absorbed by the other, who smiled gently in return. Kai instantly found himself calming down in response, allowing the serene presence of the boy opposite to wash over him. Sighing he shifted back on the bed and spread his legs a fraction wider in an unspoken invitation. Instantly understanding, his companion shifted from his position at the end of the bed, drawing himself up alongside the crimson eyed youth before gently sliding into his lap, leaning forward until his forehead rested against the dip at the join of his beloved's neck.

"I said," he mumbled gently, "what's redundant?"

Kai sighed again, not wanting to voice his black thoughts, unwilling to corrupt his loves ever- lasting faith in the world with his own pessimistic musings. Instead he absentmindedly ran his hand through the fine raven black strands of his lovers hair, while using the other to draw him as close as physical contact would allow, relishing in his presence. Allowing it to comfort him in ways that nothing else could, to reach deep into his core and soothe his near broken spirit. Somehow the boy in his arms kept the passion of his Phoenician spirit alive. Rei _was_ his spirit, and no matter how many times people he had believed in had hurt him and torn away what little faith he had had, his spirit had remained, always by his side.

As if sensing Kai's unspoken thoughts, Rei pulled back, his bright golden eyes alight with concern. Raising one of his soft hands from its perch on Kai's shoulder, he gently brushed a few stray bangs out of the Russian boys' eyes. Kai let out the breath that he had unwittingly been holding, and allowed himself to be enchanted by the almost ethereal quality that Rei had when subjected to the moons soft glow. Rei paused in his affectionate ministrations, studying the one beneath him intently; searching for answers that Kai was unwilling to give.

Kai shuddered, powerless as always under that piercing gaze, realising too late that no matter how hard he fought; Rei would always find those answers, even if he himself didn't know them.

"What are you hiding Kai?" Rei whispered gently, "why don't you let me in? I won't hurt you Kai, not like they did. I'd die before I'd let anything happen to you." He continued, the slight waver in his voice betraying his emotions.

Kai couldn't help but smile slightly when he saw the passion behind those words reflected in the amber orbs of the Byakko wielder. That had always been Rei's weakness, Kai thought to himself. His eyes had always given away far too much.

Rei smiled suddenly. A small and wan smile that told Kai that he had found what he had been looking for.

"Successful?" He asked, a faint trace of amusement lining his voice.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were feeling so down?" Rei sighed; Kai couldn't help but flinch slightly at the disappointment in his voice. Guilt rose in Kai, causing him to tear his gaze away from Rei's own, averting his eyes to the bed sheets. Why did he always do this? Lie to the only one who'd remained faithful to him. Lie when he knew that it was hopeless.

"I just want to protect you." He whispered, almost hoping that his barely audible truth would be unheard by Rei. Of course, he knew that he could rely on the boys' sensitive hearing to dash that one from his mind. The way that Rei suddenly shifted confirmed that his comment had been registered by the youth perched on his thighs.

"I-"Rei started before drifting back into silence. A new wave of guilt washed over Kai as the urge to fidget began to overwhelm him. He blinked in surprise when a single delicate finger found its way under his chin, and gently pulled his face back towards Rei. Instinctively fiery red met liquid gold as their gazes locked, heralding the silent vie of spirits.

Rei suddenly blinked, braking through the tension, as a small, yet loving smile made its way to the surface.

"I love you so much, you know?" He started again, his voice soft and sweet like melted honey. Kai frowned slightly, surprised by this seemingly abstract comment, but nodding nonetheless.

"So," he continued slowly, carefully choosing his words, "I can understand why you want to keep all the bad things away from me, because I know that you love me too. But-"he paused again, gently running a thumb over the smooth skin of Kai's right cheek. "But, we're in this together. I made the choice to stay here with you, so please respect my decision by allowing me to make my choices now." Although he spoke at a whisper, Kai could still detect the fierce spirit behind those words.

Genuinely touched, Kai smiled. The smallest twitch of his mouth, but it his truest action in months. Wrapping an arm about Rei's slim waist, he pulled the other closer, seeking the solace that only the tiger could provide. Bringing Rei with him, he leant back against the headboard, looking up at his moonlit koibito, almost in an almost begging manor. Reacting to Kai's silent pleas, Rei closed his eyes and slowly leant down, the touch of his lips ghosting across Kai's own. Resisting the urge to jerk forward and end the torture, Kai remained deathly still, his breathing quickening in response to Rei's own heavy breathing, hot on his face.

"I made my choice a long time ago my beloved phoenix." He murmured, his lips gently moving against Kai's, before he let himself go, leaning fully against his crimson eyed lover and claiming his lips as his own.

His body now out of his minds control, Kai's grasp on Rei tightened, crushing his slim frame against his own strong torso, desperate for contact. Using the height advantage gained from sitting on Kai's thighs, Rei pressed his lips harder in an almost bruising kiss, his desire for the Russian youth clear from his shaking hands which reached up to clasp Kai's cheeks, ensuring that Kai could do nothing but respond to his actions. Kai was more then happy to comply with his chosen's wishes, unhesitatingly bringing one hand from Rei's waist to entangle itself with soft raven strands, gently massaging his scalp, before his grip tightened, crushing their mouths together.

Unable to maintain that sort of pressure, Kai tilted his head, slowly opening his mouth, his desire to taste the other becoming overwhelming. Mimicking Kai's actions, Rei gently responded, allowing Kai entry, meeting the other's tongue with his own. Their initial union was gentle, a shy meeting, hesitant at first before passion and lust began to overpower them. The heady mix of the heat radiating from the body he held, and the delicious taste of strawberries and tea that Rei had just consumed, caused Kai's head to swim and pushed him further, making him want more, making him _need_ more, so much so that for a moment he almost wanted to die. After all, being like this, with Rei cradled in his arms, no one could hurt him. It was like a heaven he could reach whenever he desired. His heaven. His Rei. They had taken everything from him, but they'd never get Rei.

They'd been trying to keep him away lately. He was visiting him less and less, each time struggling to reach Kai, struggling to get through the barriers that they had placed around him. It worried him that sometimes when he woke up, Rei would be gone. His early morning disappearances were becoming more frequent and though Kai always waited patiently, he was taking longer and longer each time. When he finally did arrive, he would apologise, explaining that Kai's captors were less and less willing to let him in, fearing that Rei had some kind of plan. What only he and Kai knew of course, was that he did, and soon, very soon, they would be out of here. It was a risky plan, but, Kai reasoned, anything would be better then this life of oppression.

The feeling of Rei suddenly shifting against him caused a new wave of heat to surge through him, his thoughts suddenly becoming disjointed and fleeting. Unable to hold onto them any longer, Kai let them go, focusing on Rei and the concoction of feelings and emotions that he evoked in him.

With a renewed passion, Kai fought back against the tongue that had somehow found its way into his mouth. Growling possessively in the back of his throat, he pushed back into Rei's mouth, searching fervently over teeth and skin, lest anything in his territory be out of place. Rei moaned and pushed back as he shifted again, sending a small thrill down Kai's spine. Smirking at Rei's impatience, Kai succumbed to his team- mate's desire, loosing himself in the other, intoxicated by the beautiful boy in his arms.

Against both their wishes, they found themselves breaking the kiss. Collapsing against Kai, Rei buried his face in the taller ones chest.

"Gods Kai," Rei managed between gasps, "I swear that you're a disaster to my body!" He huffed, grinning. Kai smirked, his breathing already less erratic.

"If you think that that's the worst I can do," he replied, slowly pushing Rei onto the bed covers, "then-"his head shot up as a sudden knock at the door cut him off. A moment later and it slowly swung open. Growling in annoyance at this interruption, Kai climbed off of Rei, glaring at the one who had ruined the moment.

"Can you stop just walking in like that?" He hissed, as a blushing Rei quickly sat up and set about straitening his rumpled clothes. Takao glanced nervously around the room, giving it a quick once over, before meeting Kai's furious glare.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, before sighing sadly, "I thought that I gave enough warning this time."

"You're just damned lucky that we weren't in a more compromising situation then, aren't you Takao? I mean, just because you deny me even my own privacy, doesn't mean that I won't hesitate to hurt you if you upset Rei." Takao looked distressed for a moment, before regained his composure, sighing again, shaking his head sadly.

"Kai?" A gentle touch on his arm caused Kai to turn back to Rei, a questioning look upon his features. "Leave him be, he didn't know that I was here." He smiled sadly. Once again Kai was taken aback that Rei's sense of loyalty towards Takao and the others was still strong, despite the way that they treated him, but then, Rei had always hated confrontation.

"Alright," Kai nodded, giving in to Rei's plea. His anger however was far from forgotten. He turned back to Takao, the once lost spark of defiance present once again in his eyes.

"Don't you care Takao?" he sighed sadly, "I would be thanking Rei if I were you, not pushing him away. I don't care about how badly you treat me, but how can you treat someone as sweet as him as if he were nothing? Even now he jumps to your defence, even though you stopped caring about him long ago." The words were said quietly, his anger undetectable behind those passionate words. Kai had said it a thousand times, and a thousand times it had fallen on deaf ears. He almost despaired that the words of Hiwatari Kai no longer held any power, feared that he was nothing but a shadow of his former self; a subdued, pathetic husk of the boy he once was.

He had drifted into the darkness, almost ready to give up when Rei had decided to take action, action which while incredibly stupid, made the phoenix's eyes burn with a renewed vigour.

And this time Kai wasn't so ready to give up.

"Apologise," he said slowly. Both Rei and Takao looked up, startled by the quiet strength behind those words. Slowly Rei started to grin. He knew that that tone and the look on Takao's face told him that he knew it too. This was Kai Hiwatari, leader of the BBA Revolution, infamously ice-cold and feared by children and adults alike, speaking. Rei smiled happily. It had been a long two years.

"Apologise," Kai stated again, his voice chillingly calm. Takao did a double take at Kai's almost sudden personality change. He had grown used to an angrier, bitterer Kai, but now seeing him - his anger simmering beneath a cool façade- he saw again the spirited leader he believed had been quashed years ago. The thought made him grin.

"Apologise for what Kai?" he sniffed insolently, knowingly pushing Kai, wanting to see more of that spirit.

"Apologise to Rei, and then leave. Oh, and take that shit with you," he added, indicating to the tray laden with food, a spork and medication, "You're not doping me up again, just to make me _comply_ with your orders." At this Takao's expression hardened, all mirth wiped away.

"I won't apologise to _him_ Kai," he spat. Kai's eyes narrowed slightly, his glare so fierce that Takao took a step back.

'_Still got it'_ he thought smugly. He took a step forward.

"Why do you hate him Takao? Is it because he's not weak like you? Is it because he didn't screw me over the moment Biovault gave him a better offer, like you did?" he hissed. Takao stared at him for a second before he started to laugh, though there was no mirth in it. He was hysterical.

"Is that what you've thought all along Kai?" he managed between giggles, "you think that we joined Biovault?"

"I _know_ that you joined Biovault, why else do this Takao? Why stage this elaborate prison for me? You don't allow me to leave, you hate it when I talk to Rei… God! You won't let me cook my own food! I _know_ that the only reason you let Rei in is because he prevents me from tearing this place apart."

He rounded on Takao, walking slowly towards him, his eyes ablaze with an unholy light as the Japanese boy backed off.

"And tell me, my dear _friend_," he continued, his hate no longer concealed as he pinned Takao to the wall, "if you didn't have Biovaults' backing," he whispered vehemently in the others ear, "_how_ did you afford this place?"

"I-" Takao started shakily. Kai patiently waited for him to continue, smirking slightly at the fear in the Seiryu masters eyes.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, before taking in a shaky breath, "I really thought that we were succeeding, I'm so sorry that we failed you Kai." Kai dropped the boy and backed off, surprised to see the silent tears that coursed down Takao's face.

"And I _am_ sorry for hating Rei. He didn't mean to do this, it wasn't his fault, but sometimes I can't help but blame him." His frame wracked with noiseless sobs, yet still Kai was not convinced, after all, this boy and his _friends_ had ruined everything for him. They were the kings of lies.

"Go," he hissed, causing Takao to look up, startled. Climbing to his feet he made his way over to the door, sniffling. He paused as he opened it, turning back to Kai, tears still running unchecked.

"We'll make this better Kai I swear. It's my fault that you're here, but we'll make this up to you, I promise." He quickly exited, closing the door behind him. Kai waited until the sound of his footsteps had faded before turning back to Rei.

"It's too late for apologies," Rei whispered, staring off into the distance, "but I do wonder why he would blame me."

"It doesn't matter anymore Rei, as long as I have you; you're the only thing keeping me sane," Kai said gently, as he sat down next to Rei and wrapped his arms about him. Rei laughed softly, turning back to Kai, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"You sure about that?" he joked. Kai smiled in return, running a thumb over Rei's lips, who in turn, playfully bit it.

"Yes, though sometimes you drive me crazy," he grinned. Rei released his thumb and pouted cutely. Kai flicked his nose and laughed when the other flinched and rubbed his nose furiously.

'_This is right._'

The thought sprang from the dark depths of his mind, and suddenly he realised the truth in those words. It _was_ right, everything about being with Rei was right; he already knew that he was going to spend the rest of his life with the kitten- like youth, so why put it off any further? It was time to change things.

Kai rose to his feet, and Rei, sensing the change of mood followed suit, his eyes alight with curiosity.

"Kai?" he questioned. Kai offered an enigmatic smile.

"It's time to go Rei," Kai announced. Rei scowled before he understood. Smiling, he nodded,

"You sure?" he pushed.

"Of course, lead the way my love," Kai confirmed, offering a half smile. Reassured, Rei took Kai's hand in his own, squeezing it before leading him over to the door and pushing their heavy bed against it. Moving over to the window, Kai released Reis's hand and leaned over, picking up a chair.

"Kai? Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Rei asked, concerned.

"I may not have done much training of late Rei, but I'm still as fit as ever," he smirked cockily. Rei grinned back and nodded once again, before moving to take the other side of the chair. Their gazes locked one last time until, as if in some silent cue, and they hurled the chair at the window, watching in grim satisfaction as shards of glass burst outwards.

The screeching crash as the glass gave snapped them out of their trance. If they were going to succeed they would have to move now. Unhesitatingly, they ran towards the window, Rei's hand instinctively finding Kai's as they took a running jump out of the tear in Kai's prison.

While not too high up, Kai still fell to his knees as his feet hit the ground. Rei of course, had landed with a graceful ease, and immediately pulled Kai back to his feet. With no time to dawdle, they took off, racing into the night, sounds of alarm echoing from the house behind them.

They ran for what seemed like forever before Kai started to slow. True his training and the supplements that he had been given as a child greatly aided him in his flight, but even he could not ignore the burning sensation in his lungs and calves.

"Rei!" he cried. Slowing down slightly, Rei turned back to Kai, worried about his mate's condition.

"Just a little further Kai! If we make it to the river, the search dogs won't find us!" he called back. Kai only nodded, afraid that talking would tire him further. Knowing his destination gave Kai a new bout of energy, forcing his leaden limbs onwards and gritting his teeth against the pain. His momentum carried him on, even when Rei had stopped at the river's edge. Too late to notice, Rei jolted forwards as the impact from behind knocked him off his balance, sending them both crashing into the black water.

The shock of the freezing water suddenly enveloping his body caused Kai to take a sharp intake of breath, only for him to realise too late that there was no air for him to breathe.

'_I'm underwater!_' he thought wildly as the chilled water surged into his lungs. Panicking, he flailed around, his feet finally finding the ground, aiding him in rising to his feet and into the cool air of the night. Blinking in realisation, he began to cough violently, desperately trying to dispel the water that had flooded his chest and sucking in great breaths of sweet air to replace it.

Seconds later he regained control of his tortured body, his mind slowly starting to calm as the current danger passed. Still panting, Kai looked down on himself and was surprised to find that the water was all but four foot deep. He shook his head in wonder at how he had lost his cool over falling into nothing but an over sized puddle. He chuckled slightly at his foolishness and turned back to Rei.

"Hey, sorry about… that," Kai trailed off, the last word barely a whisper. The boy he was talking to wasn't there.

"Rei?" he called hesitantly, slowly turning around, his eyes darting around looking for his loved one.

Nothing.

"Rei?" the ex-captain called again, slightly more fearfully as he began to wade through the chest- height river. Again he was met with nothing.

"Rei!" he was running now, as fast as the confines of the water would allow.

'_He's just playing a silly joke! The water's only four foot deep!_' Kai thought hysterically, '_why would he do this? Why choose to play such a stupid prank?'_

'_He wouldn't_.'

"No," he whispered, stopping suddenly, "No! Rei! Gods no!" he screamed as he frantically began to spin around, desperately seeking the only one that he had ever cared for.

'_I'll see you later_,' Rei's voice echoed in his mind, a distant whisper of a past that he'd forgotten. Kai's eyes widened, his hysteria growing ever stronger at the thought of loosing Rei.

'_… Painkillers… I love this song…devastated…Stockholm syndrome…lovers,_' the words came at him in waves, yet they were so disjointed he couldn't understand what they meant. It had to have been from when 'they' had taken his life away. 'They' must have used some kind of medication that had made him forget, but why was this coming back now of all times? Clutching at his head, Kai screamed in frustration, frenziedly trying to will the bombardment away. He **had** to find Rei.

Without thinking, Kai sucked in as much air as he could, before submerging himself under the water. He almost gasped as the chilling water washed over him once again. This time he fought the urge, narrowing his eyes in concentration as he propelled himself through the water, his only intention; finding Rei.

He shivered again. He hadn't realised how cold the water was. Praying to the Gods that Rei was all right, he pushed his exhausted body on, ignoring the fact that he was starting to feel light headed. As the seconds passed by, he began to feel strange, a feeling almost akin to being drunk, yet his single minded pursuit kept him going.

'_Where could he be?_" Kai thought tiredly, trying his hardest to see in the murky water. He shivered again, but this time he barely felt the cold. Knowing that this was not a good sign, he pushed on regardless.

'_Let him be, if this is what he chooses then give him the dignity in doing so,_' Yuuri's voice. Was this what they called a flashback? Kai felt saddened. He hadn't seen Yuuri for a long time.

'_We can't! You think that there's honour in this? The easy way out?_' Takao yelled, distraught.

'_The easy way out? You think that coping with that kind of devastation is easy? Sometimes the right thing to do isn't always in black and white, '_Yuri replied calmly

Kai fought his drooping eyelids, trying to decipher the fleeting voices and their meanings.

'…_See you later,_' Reis' voice again, that same innocent comment that seemed to carry such a sense of foreboding. What on earth had they given him all those years ago that messed his mind up so badly? Why didn't they just leave him alone with his Rei?

He realised that he wasn't moving anymore. Vaguely, he wondered how long he had just been floating for, he realised that he no longer cared. The urge to sleep was just too overwhelming; perhaps Rei had made it safely to the other side. The thought made him smile.

'_Couldn't you wait?_' Kai instantly looked up, knowing from the clarity of the voice that this was no memory. Rei smiled back sadly, tears streaming from his beautiful golden eyes. Crying made them brighter, Kai noted absentmindedly. He closed his eyes and smiled slightly, shaking his head.

'_No_.'

Kai allowed a sigh of contentment to pass his lips, feeling peace settle upon him as he was taken into a pair of warm arms.

'_I could never wait._'

* * *

The dark sky perfectly matched the sombre mood, yet despite the threat of rain, the crowd stretched for as far as the eye could see. Many had travelled quite a distance, yet every one of them shared one thing in common. 

A Russian youth, who had the bittersweet privilege of being hailed as a special guest at this ceremony, turned his cool gaze from the mass of humanity, back to the proceedings. He was unsurprised by the turn out, knowing full well the extent of his friend's popularity, despite the happenings of the past couple of years. He was also unsurprised that this had happened. If anything, he was surprised that this hadn't happened sooner, but who was he to question the power that the sheer strength of will had over logic?

"This was all my fault," he turned to regard Takao coolly, distantly noting how broken the boy looked. He remained silent for a while, searching for something helpful to say, but he knew that it was pointless. Sighing he looked away from Takao, unable to watch the perpetual tears that streamed down the Japanese blader's face any longer. He couldn't help but feel bitter towards the other's ease at expressing his emotions. His own eyes refused to spill the sadness that he was holding inside, but then he wasn't very good when it came to emotions. They made him feel vulnerable. He had used up his limit the last time.

"He wasn't the same after…" the Russian teen broke off, unable to continue, lest he finally break down. He had to remain calm, if not for the other's, but for his own sake.

"I shouldn't have bought him back; I should have just let him get on with it," Takao whispered brokenly, "oh Gods, this is all my fault!" he wailed. Nobody else said anything, all choosing to look away, some crying harder, all feeling that in some way they had failed their friend. His sorrow grew heavier, and, against his nature, he slowly took the distraught youth in his arms, cradling him gently.

"Hush Takao, come on. You had no way of knowing how he'd react," he whispered soothingly to the other. Takao frantically shook his head.

"But you did! You _told_ me! You _told_ me to let him get on with it!" his cries were muffled as he buried his face in the other's heavy black coat.

"I knew how he worked better then you did. He was devastated, and for someone as new to emotions as he was, it completely broke him. To lose the only person that's ever loved you…well, it's not hard to see why he lost it…" he trailed off again, his voice starting to waver.

"But he was getting better, Yuuri! He was starting to see him less," Takao barely whispered. Yuuri sighed in response, shaking his head sadly.

"He was getting worse Takao, that fantasy was the only thing keeping him from loosing the will to live. With his sanity starting to return to him, his mind's last defence was to destroy himself before he had to face the painful reality. He couldn't have bared it- not again," the Russian team captain whispered back emotionally, before he released Takao and shoved his hands back into his pockets, fighting back the surge of tears that threatened to spill.

"We saved him from an overdose, only to have him freeze to death. You think that Kai was trying to tell us something?" Takao laughed bitterly. Yuuri only nodded dumbly in response.

"Why did this have to happen?" he whispered suddenly, blinking back tears. Boris shifted closer to him, noticing the usually stoic captains slight shaking, "why did this have to happen to two people who were finally happy?" He stopped as his voice began to thicken with emotion, "Why were they taken away from me?"

"Because life's like that. It destroys and it rebuilds. It has no prejudice, but it can be a wonderful thing, it gave a lost soul love. That's not something to be looked down upon," Max spoke up for the first time that day. The group fell silent, all reflecting on the wisdom of Max's words, but Yuri had had enough of wisdom. All he wanted were his friends back.

"My best friend, he was my best friend and I failed him," Yuuri whispered to no one in particular, "I promised," he looked up at the darkened clouds, as if offering his grief to the Gods, "I promised on your grave that I would see to it that Kai was happy. I failed," he looked back to the group, his vision wavering as his tears gathered.

"I'm so sorry Rei." He whispered as he lost the battle, a crystalline tear making a trail down his pale cheek.

Everyone looked down, suddenly guilty.

"I blamed him," Takao shuddered with sobs, his sense of guilt surging back, "I blamed Rei for his illness, but it was my fault. There was no way that Kai was going to recover, so we kept him in his room. He seemed happy enough, but after that episode with the painkillers we were terrified to let him outside or in the kitchen for fear that he'd try to stab himself or something," he broke off to laugh bitterly, "no wonder he thought that we were keeping him captive, yet I still blamed Rei - for turning him into a fucking schizophrenic, for making him delusional, and for keeping him _in_ those delusions. In the end it was mine, no, it was _our_ fault for believing that Kai could find the will to live without him. Gods! How could I have grown so bitter towards someone I always had such a respect for? He was braver than I'll ever be. Brave enough to throw his life away!" Takao finally broke down, clutching at Max and releasing sob after tortured sob. Yuuri chuckled brokenly at the memory.

"Ever the hero," he smiled wanly, "I wouldn't call it throwing his life away. He did what he thought was right. He didn't know that one of them had a knife," he swallowed, trying to rid the lump which had formed in his throat, preventing him from talking without his voice cracking, "I think that's what got to Kai the most. He didn't get to say goodbye," Yuuri whispered the last, knowing that if he spoke any louder, he would end up sobbing.

"You know," Takao started, collecting himself slightly, "it would have been their three year anniversary this week. In reality, Kai was with his dream longer then he was with Rei. That's really…sad," he finished. Everyone agreed, nodding silently. Yuuri frowned and shook his head slightly.

"That didn't make his love for Rei any less pure, if anything, it proves the theory of true love," Max and Boris looked questioningly at him. Yuuri explained, "The only way for him to live was if Rei was by his side - and I personally think that that's beautiful," A chorus of 'yeah' told him that they felt the same way.

"Hey, Yuuri?" Takao mumbled. Yuuri looked back to him, questioning, "sorry to change the subject, but do you know what Stockholm Syndrome is?" he asked nervously.

"Yes. Why?" Yuuri asked, frowning at the Japanese boy's question.

"Because we found it written on Kai's wall," Max hurriedly explained, unsure of whether he wanted to know the answer. Yuuri finally understood, sighing softly.

"It's a term used when a captive forms a strong emotional bond with his captor. It's also a song that Rei used to love, so I don't know which he meant. Perhaps he meant both. I think that maybe towards the end he really did know that it was time to leave it all behind," he explained.

Hearing his name softly being called, Yuuri dragged himself from the safety of the others, walking forwards until he stood before the beautiful statue that signified the final resting place and commemorated the memories of two of the world's greatest bladers. No. Two of the world's greatest people, people who had touched upon the lives of many, but none so much as they had each other.

The grave was really a work of art, truly worthy of two such people, perfectly capturing their essence in sculptured marble. It had been based on a sketch that Rei had done almost two and a half years ago, a lovely sketch which seemed almost alive from the passion that had obviously been put into it. That life had been captured the monument, the rising Phoenix looked ready to take fight, each feather flawless white, almost appeared to be the wings of a giant dove. Wings that were wrapped around a beautiful tiger, their gazes locked for all eternity.

Unable to take it anymore Yuuri collapsed to his knees, his tears slipping past his crumbled barriers in an unstoppable torrent. Almost in answer the sky opened, a downpour of rain adding yet another stab to Yuuri's heart. Somewhere in the back of his mind a song played, the whisper of a melody, haunting the sodden boy. It was so innocent at the time, Rei's favourite song. Yet it was almost a dread prophecy foretelling their future.

He stiffened when a pair of arms slipped about him, pulling him into their strong grip.

"Let it go Yuuri," Boris whispered, and, as if that was all he needed, Yuuri began to wail, a keening sound that tore at the hearts of all around him. He cried until he was hoarse, long after the rain had stopped, Boris still holding him as they kneeled together in the mud. He smiled exhaustedly as the sun peeked through a gap in the now thinning clouds and collapsed in Boris arms, his heart and his mind spent.

Yuuri prayed then, as darkness overtook him, for the first time that he could recall. He hoped that, wherever they were Kai Hiwatari and Rei Kon had found each other at last, and would never ever let each other go again.

.:Stockholm Syndrome:.

(Insert lyrics here)

* * *

Because 'effeffdotnet' values our work and let's us 'unleash our imaginations'. I have had to take the song out of this. Even though, the lyrics were the driving inspiration behind this fiction, because feels the need to treat us with utter, fucking _contempt, _I felt that the last thing I wanted was for my best piece to be deleted. 

I just feel so bad for the thousands of people who have songfictions. This wasn't a singfiction, but I felt that the addition of lyrics to the end helps convey the double meaning of the fiction. But oh well, as long as people conform and churn out the same bullshit, 'effeffdotnet' will be happy.


End file.
